My Everest Base Camp Trek Diary…as featured in Trek and Mountain Magazine!!!
12 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
MY EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK……as featured in Trek and Mountain Magazine….for those of you who were unable to see my article in the Magazine (my claim to fame at last 
) I thought I’d be everso kind an make it todays post……I hope you enjoy it…….xxx
Back on the 6th October 2010, following a trip to the World War One Battlefields, I decided my next fundraising event had to be for Help for Heroes. I’d done something for charity for the past 2 years, a Sky Dive in 2009 and a 5 Kilometer swim in 2010, and knew my next event had to be something a little more extreme, or “crazy” as my children would rather describe it. So, with my Charitable organisation easily chosen the task of deciding what to do became a little more difficult. Running the London Marathon was my initial thought, then a Lands End to John O Groats cycle, maybe the Peru Inca Trail Hike or the Three Peaks Challenge but none of these really grabbed me. However, with a little more searching, I was hit with a “Eureka” moment and the Help for Heroes Everest Base Camp Trek was the one for me! Luckily, unlike Archimedes, I wasn’t sat in the bath and didn’t run down the road stark naked, but at home where my Everest seed was sown!
Now, a little bit about me and my inspiration for undertaking this challenge. My name is Laura, or ‘SherpaLaura’ the name I initially gave as the title of my Blog but which has actually become my alter ego over the past year. I’m a 35 year old mum to 3 amazing children and I live in a little town called Kettering in Northamptonshire. I’m a Registered Children and Young People’s Nurse (a School Nurse to you and I) which, as my ‘Day job’ keeps me very busy. It is however, my 3 fantastic children – my Troops – that have given me the inspiration, motivation and determination to do this Challenge, however tough it may be! To show them that “Kids if there is something you want to do in life, then you go for it”. I guess, quite simply, as well as being their mum, I want to be a great role model for them to follow and to be part of their inspiration in what they achieve with their lives!! My son already tells his friends he has a “crazy mummy”, and that I’m always doing crazy things so, for the past 18 months not only has Help for Heroes benefited from my crazy tendencies, but now you guys will get to read about them too!
2011, my Help for Heroes Everest Base Camp trek year started with lots of planning. With a target of £4000 to raise for the charity I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to rely solely on a sponsor form and the kindness of close family and friends alone. I was going to have to plan, organise and participate in Events on a grander scale in order to reach and hopefully exceed my target. I soon became an expert in sending emails and letters, making phone calls and using my ‘cheek’ to the best of my ability to raise the profile of my Everest Trek and the Help for Heroes charity, to secure donations, of not only money but for raffle prizes, cakes, the use of a hall, shopping precincts and supermarket foyers and of course the most valuable donation of all, this being the time of close family and friends in helping me with my fundraising events. The year saw me holding cakes sales, packing peoples shopping in the supermarket, getting up at 6 am on several Sunday mornings to grace the local car boot sales and give assemblies to schools about my forthcoming trek. However, my most successful fundraising event saw me become Lance Armstrong for the day and undertake a 180 kilometer cycle, on a static bike in my local town Centre. In my madness I decided that standing with a collection tin alone would not really inspire people to donate, sitting on a bike, cycling the distance from Kathmandu airport to Everest Base Camp however may enthuse the philanthropist in the passing shoppers! I was proven right. In the 6 hours it took me to complete the distance I raised an amazing £925! So successful was the event, and the fact that my gluteus maximus remained intact, I repeated the whole cycle again later on in the year. Fundraising and Help for Heroes became my life in 2011 all culminating in the Trek to Everest Base Camp and as a way of capturing this I started a blog – a diary of my year, an informal and humorous insight into my training, the fundraising, the preparation, the kit I would need and some factual posts about Everest and its history. Titled SherpaLaura, this became my nickname throughout the year and during the trek itself and was indeed an alter ego I was proud to become.
November 4th 2011……’No More Sleeps, I’m Everest Bound!’
2011 was certainly a year that seemed to flash before my eyes and all of sudden departure day was here and it was time to leave my normal life for 3 weeks, and head to Heathrow airport where my adventure was really going to start. There were 31 (including the trip leaders) of us doing the Trek, all for Help for Heroes, and Heathrow was the first time that the majority of us had meet, an adventure in itself. From being complete strangers on Day 1, it soon became apparent that after a few days of eating, sleeping, drinking, breathing and trekking together, we would all be pretty close quite quickly! With people of all ages, from 21 to 60, from all walks of life and all with different reasons for embarking on this adventure, the next 19 days were going to be quite literally the experience of a lifetime! Read on, and follow my footsteps, and I hope, if like me, it will spark an interest, light a fire in your belly and inspire you to head for Everest Basecamp and beyond!
Kathmandu – day 1-3
Our arrival to Kathmandu was met with sheer excitement as well as some apprehension for what lay ahead. With 2 days to explore the city I think our fears of getting to Base camp where somewhat superseded by the sheer lunacy of the roads! Our transfer from the airport to our guesthouse was akin to a theme park white knuckle ride, with not one recognisable or adhered to road rule. However, at least we had the reasonable security of a local driver and a mini bus to keep us safe! Once on foot and left to our own devices, walking through the bustling streets was a little like a game of run the gauntlet mixed with Russian roulette and I’m sure it was only luck that prevented us being hit by a passing car, motorbike, rickshaw or bicycle. Despite this, Kathmandu for me was truly amazing. The hustle and bustle was not dissimilar to any major capital city. It was a cosmopolitan and happening place but in such a simple way. I’d already fallen in love with Nepal and I’d not yet properly seen the Himalaya’s!
Lukla – 2840 meters above sea level.
Ok, so I’m off to Base Camp, which I’m guessing could be pretty dicey. The altitude being the main problem with the level of oxygen in the air being 50% of that at sea level, and apparently the Yaks can be a little hostile too, but that is all part of this exciting adventure. However what I wasn’t quite prepared for is the flight into Lukla Airport (Airport in the loosest sense of the word)!! ” Out of the frying pan into the fire” is what springs to mind. About 18 months ago I vowed I’d never get on an aeroplane again after a very traumatic flight home from Turkey, so not only am I embarking on a 9 hour flight to Katmandu but then taking an hour long internal flight to Lukla – The Gateway to Everest – which has been named THE world’s number 1 most dangerous airport! Lukla airport and landing strip is in actual fact more akin to a Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier than Terminal Four at Heathrow. However, any fears I had were soon dispelled on takeoff and really seeing those mountains for the first time. I knew what Everest looked like. I’ve seen pictures and I thought I knew exactly what I’d see, but the reality is hard to put into words, amazing, breathtaking and stunning. Stepping off that little plane at Lukla and standing at the base of the Himalayas, being engulfed by peak after peak, knowing that it would only get better rendered me speechless, and now, as I’m writing this I have the same Goosebumps and lump in my throat as I did then! This adventure had truly begun. From here on in my feet would be my only mode of transport, my day sack would become permanently attached to my back and the luxuries I take for granted at home would become a dear and distant memory! I couldn’t wait. We were off, and boy did I have a spring in my step and a big smile on my face.
Phakding – 2610 meters above sea level.
We arrived in Phakding after a 6 hour trek from Lukla (this would be one of our easier days) A meandering trail through the mountains, lined with Mani stone walls, painted in bright colours and carved with brilliant detail. The Buddhists believe these to be sacred, and as a sign of respect to their culture we pass these in a clockwise direction, a ritual we would always adhere to. We would also experience our first night in a tea house, our accommodation for the trek. In brief a Teahouse consisted of a communal area which was warm and
welcoming and we would dine here as well as spend our evenings chatting, playing cards, reading or just reflecting on the day. Our sleeping quarters were shared and although comfortable were not heated, were a little draughty and our beds were not the divan’s we were used to at home. To describe the rooms quite simply, it was a little like sleeping in your garden shed! Hot water was available but at a cost and the toilets, well a hole or a basin in the floor (or behind a bush whilst on the trail) was the norm and toilet paper would be thrown in a bin! This was a fear of mine, grasping the ‘alfresco’ toilet facilities, however I soon realised that unless I was going to avoid going to the loo for the entire 19 days it was something I was going to have to overcome pretty quickly, and two hours into the trek it was ‘mission accomplished’.
Namche Bazaar – 3340 meters above sea level
From here on in our days become longer with 7 – 8 hours of trekking per day being the average. Namche Bazaar is accessed via a forest of Rhododendrons, magnolia, huge fir trees and finished off with an ascent up Namche Hill, a rather steep incline into the town itself. A meeting and trading point for local people – the Sherpa capital as it is known. Arrival into Namche gave us the opportunity to explore the town, buy last minute mountain equipment, enjoy the views and experience the Everest Bakery that sold the most amazing cakes and pastries! Our Teahouse also would be one of the more comfortable for the rest of the trek up to base camp, with the chance to have one last hot shower for almost 10 days!
Dingboche – 4100m above sea level
From Namche we made the 3 day trek up to Dingboche, the picturesque ‘summer village ‘as it is known. Now, unfortunately, the majority of the group, me included, became unwell on arrival to Dingboche with what became known as Basecamp Belly! I shall obviously not go into too much detail but Dingboche was more like the Marie Celeste with all of us having to take to our beds and let the illness take its course! At one point I did think that red crosses or white flags would begin to adorn our bedroom doors! Fortunately we had the time in our itinerary to have an extra day and night in Dingboche for us all to recover and continue the trek in better health!
Lobuche – 4910 m above sea level
On leaving Dingboche, the trail ascends quite gently, but our pace is slow and steady. The altitude is now playing a big part in our progress with the levels of oxygen in the air becoming less and less. I felt extremely fortunate, whether it be the preparation I did prior to the trek or the fact that I have kept myself pretty fit for the past 15 years and was now reaping the rewards, as the altitude didn’t seem to affect me in the ways I thought it would and breathlessness didn’t become a problem for me, even up at Base camp. I do feel sorry for my fellow trekkers as my constant talking wasn’t hindered by the reducing levels of oxygen!
The mountains were now even more beautiful, we were among them, climbing them and becoming ever closer to our goal, basecamp, the starting place for those who chose to go for the summit of Everest! An opportunity I would love to be in the position to accept one day! Maybe the altitude did affect me, but as we trekked higher and higher, alongside the Khumba Glacier and on toward the Ice Fall the lure of the summit was a little too tempting for me. I guess the mountains had ‘got me’ and although I’d not even reached base camp yet, I knew I’d be back.
Gorak shep to base camp.
Gorak shep is in actual fact a lake bed, covered in sand and mountain debris and is the original Everest Base Camp. Gorak Shep is also the name of the small village where we would stay prior to our trek up to base camp. Despite being 5140 m above sea level, we again have a comfortable and warm tea house to stay in. One of the things that truly amazed me during the trek was the strength and stamina of the Sherpa’s. However high we were, everything that was required on the mountain was delivered by a Sherpa or a Yak! They were the ‘Eddie Stobart’ of the Himalayas. Carrying up to three times their own body weight , 150 kilograms often, in supplies, be that food or drink, furniture, building materials and even full size snooker tables it was the Sherpa’s that did it. I was in awe of them and also very thankful too.
Our ascent up to Base camp was for me one of the most emotional days of my life. Before the trek I expected it to be physically hard, but for me it was the emotional side of reaching our goal that I found difficult. Base Camp itself sits just below the Khumba Ice Fall and is the home of all summit teams for several weeks. Base Camp itself can only be described as an expanse of rock covered ice, with more ice as far as the eye can see. It is not the rubbish dump that people told me it would be, it was not of course the tent filled sight that the images of base camp show it to be either (although given a few more weeks, with summit teams arriving, it soon would be), it is difficult to describe what base camp is like in words! For me personally it was awesome. I had achieved my goal and climbed to the base of the highest mountain in the world, a once in a lifetime achievement that I myself had accomplished and without me sounding boastful, I was proud of myself. As I have already said, emotionally, standing at basecamp was really tough and I shed quite a few tears. Id achieved what I set out to achieve, I’d met the most amazing people and made some lifelong friends, I’d raised £4500 for Help for Heroes and maybe most importantly I’d realised a dream. I never thought I’d be in the Himalayas, standing at Everest Base Camp, I never thought I’d get on that plane to Lukla, I too never thought I’d be more than happy to go without my home comforts but I did, and thoroughly enjoyed every second! Yes, I’d realised a dream and made it a reality! With the return trek to Lukla in front of us, I knew that the mountains would become my passion and my next adventure was already being conceived in my brain!
So where do I go from here, well my SherpaLaura alter ego is certainly staying with me and my love of the mountains was not an Everest holiday romance. On my return from Nepal my determination, motivation and true passion for the mountain and trekking life was now tattooed on my soul and within the week of landing back to my normal life I’d booked my challenge for 2012! Myself and 3 friends (one of whom I met on my trek) have booked to do the 5 peaks challenge in June this year, again for Help for Heroes, with my new goal of personally raising £10,000 for the charity. The fundraising has become a fundamental part of my life now, I enjoy it, I also realise just how important it is and I will strive to the best of my ability to raise my new, hopefully not too ambitious, target!
MY EVEREST EXPLOITS…..IN PRINT!!!
13 Mar 2012 4 Comments
Oh my goodness me…I’ve finally reached minor celebrity status and I’m in a glossy magazine! Now its not Tatler, Vogue or OK but a magazine much more in line with my ‘SherpaLaura’ status and definitley more fitting to my Everest Exploits! The UK’s leading Trekking and Mountaineering magazine, aptly named Trek and Mountain, very kindly asked me to write an article for the March Edition about my Base Camp, Help for Heroes Trip, with the Editor even more kindly offering to donate the fee to the charity! I obviously obliged of course and my own, heartfelt personal account of the most amazing experience of my life is in this months edition! On sale right now in most WH Smiths (or your local newsagent will order you a copy) so, if you really truly would like to read all about it, my Everest Experience, Base Camp Belly, Ablutions at altitude, Himalayan haulage and just about my three weeks in the mountains then you will have to buy the magazine! You see, not only has the Editor agreed to donate the fee for me writing the piece (its 5 pages, with lots of my photos and the usual LauraLand Logic, Sherpalaura-isms and my crazy sense of humour that I know you have all come to love ) but he will also increase the amount depending on the amount of copies that are sold! So, for the chance to see SherpaLaura in print, and maybe be inspired to hit the mountains yourself, please please buy a copy of TREK and MOUNTAIN…….!!!
No more sleeps…I’m Everest Bound :-)
04 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
Oh my Goodness me…it is now only a few hours until I leave for Heathrow, to meet my fellow base campers and board that plane to Katmandu So, what does a girl do on her last morning at home……let me tell you -
7.30 – very reluctantly get out of my very comfy bed!
7.35 – feed my 3 very hungry children some breakfast!
7.50 – De-Nit the two girls hair (oh the joy of having girls with long hair, grrrrrr)
8.10 – Prevent a ‘Tracey Beaker’ v’s ‘Sarah Jane Adventures’ fight between Emily and Harrison, only to cause an even bigger one by turning the TV off altogether (note to self – do not put the tv on before the school run)!!
8.20 – Take my eldest two children to school! A simple task normally but today, not so easy. Emily burst into tears telling me how much she was going to miss me and would she be able to talk to me at all whilst I’m away! Harrison too was crying and gave me the biggest hug! Now, getting to base camp is going to be some challenge, but, trying not to burst into tears myself outside their classrooms was a challenge of epic proportion! Deep breaths, deep breaths!
08.40 – Return home to complete my packing…..rucksack weighs in at 16kgs and hand luggage around 5kgs …cool!
09.30 – Ok, now for the really important stuff….run the biggest, hottest and bubbliest bath ever and have a lovely long soak. Sound simple, but this is actually quite difficult to achieve with my 3 year old little Evie throwing all of her toys in, trying to make soup with the bubbles, however I still relished in the luxury of a bath!!
09.45 – So with the bath done, time to dry, straighten and attempt to make my hair look nice for one last time…oh and I also managed to paint my toenails a very bright shade of red!! Oh how girly hey Still I have to say that I’m actually quite looking forward to not having to bother with all that for 19 days. Brush, what hair brush! I’ll start to worry though when I get mistaken for one of the Yaks
11.00 – Now comes the second of extremely heart and heart wrenching tasks of the day….dropping my 3 year old Evie Rose to the childminder :-( Again, time to swallow those tears and be brave (that’s me not Evie). Thankfully, Evie being Evie and also being a 3 year old, trying to explain to her that Mummy is going away for a while proved to be very amusing! On telling her that she wouldn’t see me for a bit she just looked at me, gave me a big ’guggle’ (evie speak for cuddle), told me she loved me lots and then said ’but you’ll be home to cook my tea mummy’…bless her.
12.00 – Time for coffee and bacon butties with my Fiance (I’m still trying to get used to that one and I still have the big grin on my face)! Our last scran together for a few weeks 
I’m dreading the goodbyes at the Airport already…..I may not be able to stop those tears!!!!
Well, that’s my morning gone! Now I really have to go. I’ve lots to do and have that funny niggly feeling in my mind…you know the one when you know there is something you are meant to do but can’t for the life of you think what it is……….I just know that I’m meant to be doing something ever so important later……….I just wish I could remember what ……………….. 
Well, this is it then…SherpaLaura Signing off for a few days. My blog will be replaced by a journal during my trek, so lots of posts to come on my return. Thankyou all so much for reading the crazy life of Sherpalaura over the last 11 months. I hope you have all enjoyed following me as much as I have enjoyed writing my blogs. It’s not too late to sponsor me of course…just visit my fundraising page www.bmycharity.com/V2/sherpalaura
SherpaLaura Over and Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SherpaLaura….speechless…… :-)
01 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
Ok so, it’s now 2 and a bit days before I leave for Nepal and head up that hill with all my fellow trekkers (who I hasten to add I cannot wait to meet) so with a unexpeced day without any of my children what should one do?????? Sort out all of the kit that is piled, Everest style, in the corner of my bedroom, go and get the last-minute things I need, such as that fabulous pair of heels I spied last week or the new GHD hairstraightners for sale in my hair salon or the latest Lancome Mascara on offer right now….oooops, sorry I got confused for a moment there, Im trekking to Base camp not going for Dinner at The Ritz I didn’t even spend the day doing some last-minute training…so what did I do? Well, my intentions for today were to go shopping for the last-minute things that I need, and no, none of the above but way more practical and less glamorous items such as mosquito repellent, boot laces, shampoo leaves and a solar charger. The day started out as planned….I left the house by 8 am, in Leicester by 9am and in Costa for a pre shop Large, extra hot, decaf Costa Light with a shot of Hazelnut coffee (phew that takes some saying ) and then my day suddenly took a very unexpected turn………………….
My lovely Boyfriend Dan proposed to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I need to say that again,……My lovely boyfriend Dan PROPOSED TO ME!!!!! Oh my Goodness me! Now,if any of you (girls) are like me and love the film Pretty Woman there is a scene in the film where she falls off the bed….well that was me except it was off one of the high stools that you can find in any Costa coffee shop…….
So, a very short blog tonight but a very important one in the life of SherpaLaura and the little world that is LauraLand….I am quite literally the happiest girl in the world right now and the Cheshire cat sized smile that has been on my face all day is going to take some removing….I still can’t quite belive that the stunning piece of bling on the all important finger is actually mine and I’m now Dan’s fiancée! So two things here are very important, particularly for my fellow trekkers…..firstly I apologise for the huge spring in my step..infact its so springy just now that I’ll be up that mountain like a pogo stick and I’ll be coming down like a “slinky” and secondly with reference to my last post and the affliction my fingers have with the cold, it is of utmost importance that my gloves do what they say they will and keep my hands toasty warm but if they don’t, so long as the second finger on my left hand survives all will be ok
Well, that’s it for tonight’s installment of life in the LauraVerse….its a very happy place to be and if I can conquer “cloud 9″ which is where I am right now surely Everest Base Camp will be a “piece of cake” haha
Gloves, Gloves, glorious Gloves!!!!
30 Oct 2011 2 Comments
Gloves, Gloves, Glorious Gloves,
There’s nothing quite like them for warming the blood.
So follow me follow, Down to the hollow,
And there let me wallow in glorious gloves………
Nope, I’ve not gone completely mad since my last blog (there is a tiny bit of me that remains ‘compos mentsis’) and I know I have changed the lyrics to the well-known hippopotamus song, but as usual there is a ‘Laura’s Logical’ reason for this….let me explain
If you can cast your mind back to March and my “Stand Clear…and Shock” post you may recall what happens to my hands when I am exposed to the cold (and by the cold I mean just walking through the freezer section in the supermarket). My hands, well my fingers take on the alter ego of a dead body due to a condition called “Raynauds phenomenon”. Now, with less than a week to go until I leave for my Everest Base Camp Trek, where temperatures could be as low as -15 you will be pleased to know that I have got myself the most amazing pair of gloves. They are indeed the daddy in Glove World, they are a sleeping bag for my hands, a duvet for my digits and I am one happy lady knowing that I will not be leaving any of my fingers at base camp :-)
The gloves I have purchased are the RAB endurance down mitts “Extremely warm mitts for the coldest weather” Great, the exact specification I was looking for in my gloves. Filled with goose down they will keep the water, the wind and most importantly, the cold out. They came with a slightly hefty price tag for a pair of gloves but given the fact that I have become quite attached to my fingers during our 35 years together, I felt the price was entirely justified. So, any of you that were slightly concerned that I would return from Nepal a few phalanges less than I went with need worry no more………a new superhero has been born…Mighty Mitt has come to my rescue and saved the day! Thankyou RAB
Oh, and did I mention that it’s now only 5 days until I, and my fellow trekkers, embark on our Help for Heroes challenge to Base Camp, so just a little reminder for all you lovely, kind, generous Sherpalaura followers my fundraising page is;
Charity begins at home… :-)
25 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
“Charity begins at home” is an expression we have all heard and I’m sure used and today I learnt just how true that is! Historically, the phrase is not linked to the giving of money at all but is in actual fact a word of Latin origin. “Caritas” means dearness and the giving of love based on respect, as well as expensiveness (much in the way that we use dear for both senses in the English language). Thus, Charity was the word used in the bible to mean the giving of love, which of course, should begin at home! In the Bible, another aspect of love was the giving of alms to the poor with love and giving existing along side one another and have, not surprisingly, become confused. Quite simply put, love and support should come first from ones own family - “Charity begins at home”. Today, the word charity is now almost always associated with the giving of money to those less fortunate than ourselves, which, in my logical brain can only be done with a sense of love and kindness, so the word charity remains true to its original Latin meaning!
Now, why Oh Why I hear you ask am I giving you a Religious Education based post! Well, it is a Sunday morning and I must have woken with my “Vicar of Kettering” head on so I thought I would give you all an informative, sensible blog before I turn into my usual self which is more on a par with “Verger Alice” Suitable joke to follow
Seriously now, my actual reason for my little R.E lesson this morning is that yesterday, I truly did see Charity in its true sense! Whilst my youngest daughter Evie and I were in our kitchen preparing dinner, my eldest two, Emily and Harrison were playing with their friends on the field next to our house. Unbeknown to me they had taken some unwanted toys and books with them and had set up a little stall, selling their wares to any passing children, dog walkers and neighbours. They both came into the house with smiles so big they could have given the Cheshire Cat a run for his money, hiding something behind their backs. Now, just as I was about to launch into the “what have you two been up to, you better have been behaving yourselves and not got into any trouble” speech they presented me with a little tin containing Six Pounds and Fifty Three pence! With proud voices they told me they had sold some of their things, for me to put into my Help for Heroes tin Now if that is not the true meaning of “Charity Begins at Home” I don’t know what is Every penny of that money will be very proudly deposited into my fundraising account…thankyou both so very much!
To end todays post, as promised a joke……….
Once upon a time there was an inflatable boy who went to an inflatable school with inflatable teachers and inflatable chairs and inflatable tables and inflatable lockers, etc. But one day he goes absolutely amuck with a drawing pin and pops absolutely everything! The head master is displeased and calls him to his office and says “you’ve let me down, you’ve let yourself down, you’ve let they whole school down!”
The Tour de Shopping Precinct……!!!
21 Sep 2011 1 Comment
Ok, so the title of this post sounds nowhere near as appealing as The tour De France ( or The Tour
De Jersey, The Tour De Palm Springs, The Tour De Kilkenny or The Tour De Walla Walla for that matter – and yes these are real cycling events and not just another SherpaLauraism ) but I can tell you that it sure is on a par with the famous bike ride and I’m sure as hard work…well almost! And, The Tour De Shopping Precinct has actually happened TWICE this year, albeit in different locations. Those of you who read my post back in February will be aware that I decided to cycle the distance from Kathmandu Airport to Everest Base Camp, 180 Kilometers, on a static bike in my local shopping centre This proved to be a very successful fundraising event, so I thought I would don my Lance Armstrong alter ego again, and repeat the whole thing in another town Which I did! Now, here is a little bit of Laura’s Logic for you, but given the fact that I cycled from Kathmandu to Base camp in February, I decided that this time I would beat my Personal Best of 6 hours 20 minutes and complete the distance in less time, with the rationale behind this being that surely the return journey – Base camp to Kathmandu – is all down hill ! I did warn you that it was Laura’s Logic
What I didn’t prepare for though was the difference in the weather! My September cycle was considerably warmer than my February one, and although both were done indoors, the air temperature was significantly higher and did make a difference! It didn’t alter the overall outcome of the cycle, I did the distance and although not quicker I still did it in the same time. It didn’t alter the generosity of the people of Northampton – I raised a fantastic £725 and it didn’t alter the fact that as always I had my trusty Steeds at my side…..my Dad, my best pal Pete and my great friend Hayley! What it did make a difference to however was my fluid balance! I sweated, and I sweated and I sweated some more! I drank and drank and drank some more but as quick as I was drinking it, I was sweating it out again….I must have looked like I’d sprung a leak, in fact I could quite probably have been the Fire Sprinkler system for the entire building! The amount I was having to drink was not conducive to the ONE toilet break I had allowed myself either! It wasn’t until I’d finished my cycle and was on my way home that the amount Id perspired actually dawned on me! I tasted like Dead Sea and the salt was flaking off my skin! Having done the cycle in February I thought yep I could now go and do the Tour De France, this time however I was more likely to be headhunted by McDonald’s and not to serve the food but for the customers to sprinkle me on their chips 
However, despite having new career prospects as a mineral lick for agricultural livestock, the most important outcome was the money I raised for Help for Heroes…..thankyou again to all of the kind people of Northampton
To end todays post, I thought you may all like a little bit of a SherpaLaura Trivia……..As you all know I’m sure, the pinnacle of the Tour De France for any cyclist is to be awarded the fabled ‘Yellow Jersey’. However, there are other Jerseys which are bestowed to riders for other achievements during the race….let me explain:
The Yellow Jersey – Rewards the rider who completes the race with the lowest overall time! The Winner!!
The Green Jersey - Rewards the rider who wins the race’s points competition.
The Polka dot Jersey – Won by some of the greatest climbers in cycling, the polka dot jersey rewards the rider who amasses the most points from the numerous categorised climbs throughout the race! The King of the Mountains.
The White Jersey - Rewards the race’s riders aged 25 and under. Like the Yellow Jersey it is awarded to the cyclist who completes the race in the lowest overall time! The future Yellow Jersey Winner!
And finally, and new for 2011 The Blue Jersey - Rewards the rider who pedals as fast as they can without actually moving and still manages to cycle 180 kilometers. This rider must also possess rather crazy, hair brained tendencies. The Tour De Shopping Precincts finest accolade, which this year was won twice by Sherpalaura – in aid of Help for Heroes 
Please give Generously…….to Help Our Heroes :-)
02 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
Good Evening Everybody…….I was hoping to have made todays post by now but I’ve been a little busy……..searching for my Wallpaper pasting table!! Now I’m actually not a fan of wallpaper for my house’s interior decoration, neither am I a decorator in my spare time so why would i have, let alone need a pasting table. Well, for those regular followers among you, you will know that as part of my fundraising I’ve done several car boot sales and I’m sorry to say that you cannot call yourself a professional “car booter” unless you have the trusty paste table, oh and it must possess one leg that is much shorter than all of the others, a bow in the centre so big that it causes all your “car booty” to fall into the middle of the table in a big heap and the ability to groan under the weight of all your wares but somehow manage to not collapse…..:- ) How on earth anyone actually manages to use the pasting table for its true purpose and get wallpaper up onto the wall I’ll never know…but anyhow..I digress. Why do I need the pasting table, why have I spent much of the afternoon hunting for mine (they are not easy to lose surely) and why is it so imperative that I find it tonight? Well, I need it for tomorrow (and the reason for my early start in the morning) and No, I’m not car booting but, I am fundraising…with a slight feeling of De JaVu coming over me! I will be doing a repeat of my 180 kilometer static bike cycle with the only difference being the scenery. I’ll be in a different shopping centre, The Grosvenor Centre in Northampton, but I’m hoping everything else will be exactly the same. My dad, as always, will be with me to take charge of the collection tins and buckets, my bike will be the same although I hope to pedal a bit faster and beat my previous time of 6 hours 20 minutes and I’m sure the generosity of the shoppers will be the same although again, it would be fantastic to beat the previous amount of £925………so really, today post is a PLEDGE…to all you guys…please please please dig deep in those pockets, purses, wallets, bottom of handbags or between the sofa cushions and donate some money, via me and my crazy cycling tendencies, to Help for Heroes…a truly amazing charity!! My fundraising page is just to the right of this post, it’s really simple (created by me after all) ..just click on the bit where it says ‘click here to donate to Help for Heroes’ or as I’m ever so helpful and have made it even simpler…just click on the link below………
www.bmycharity.com/V2/sherpalaura
Oh, and for those of you who are wondering..the elusive paste table…well, it remains elusive! I’ve emptied the shed, not there, I’ve turned the garage upside down, not there, even checked under the beds, in the loft and in the fridge (well you see I found the milk in the shed so I thought maybe I’d accidentally put the milk in the shed and the pasting table in the refrigerator ……ok ok I’m being silly now!) I do think that my paste table actually has had a rather early demise from the mortal ‘car boot sale’ world and didn’t survive one of my ruthless junk culls and has, in fact gone to the scrap heap pile in the sky..otherwise known as the tip……:-)
SherpaLaura FM!! My Radio Debut…… :-)
30 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Well, I think it may be a while before I have anything close to my own radio station, plus I don’t know if the world would cope with my crazy SherpaLaura shenanigans being broadcast over the airwaves I have, however made my Radio debut and was lucky enough to be asked along to my local BBC radio station and give an interview about this little hill I’m going to meander half way up, for Help for Heroes…..
Despite being slightly nervous about doing a Live radio interview, I was also a little concerned for the early morning Breakfast Drive-time listeners, and the effect my dulcet tones would have on their ears and their driving concentration! Two reasons for my worries…firstly, I’ve heard myself talking on one of my Dads “Beadle’s About” family video recordings and well, its awful….I’m sure he dubbed over me and replaced me with a Marge Simpson come Dot Cotton voice over and it wasn’t conducive to early morning, just woken up, on the way to work listening that’s for sure! Surely that’s not how I really sound, is it? And secondly, my interview was to be live at 08.20……..so not only would I have the aforementioned intonation but a just woken up one at that…..so a Marge Simpson with an extremely sore throat come a Dot Cotton on 60 ciggies a day……this was not boding well for a Help for Heroes, Sherpalaura fundraising promotion……….!! Now, I could have done what a voice coach would recommend…gargle with salt water, sip lemon and honey, have a steam inhalation but thinking that was slight overkill I had a good old cuppa and warmed my voice up by singing along to every tune on my I pod all the way to the radio station……
Fortunately, my concerns were unnecessary, the interview went really well and taking all day to pluck up the courage to listen to it myself on the I-player, when I did I was actually very pleasantly surprised…..I didnt’ sound like the gravely voiced, ear-drum offending person I feared I would…I still, however, didn’t recognise myself , thankfully though, for positive reasons. My Dads video recorder must have had a major audio fault thats all I can say
Anyhow, for you lucky SherpaLaura followers, if you click the link below then you SHOULD (if my I.T skills have done their job correctly and you just click on the blue box that says click here to start download from sendspace) be able to listen to the interview and decide for yourselves
Download sherpalaura.mp3 from Sendspace.com – send big files the easy way.
Remember Me …. :-)
18 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Oh my Goodness me what would I do without all you SherpaLaura followers….now I don’t know which one of you it was but I want to thankyou for sending out the search party for me…….I went missing in action about 8 weeks ago and despite handing myself into the Stray Sherpa Sanctuary, no one claimed me Just as I thought all was lost, with minutes to spare before I was put up for re-homing…..my Blog and my faithful followers rescued me….so having had a good meal, a long hot soak in the tub and a full nights sleep in a warm bed I’m blogging well back !!
But, where have I really been for 8 whole weeks…..with the socks that seem to be able to magically escape from the washing machine drum, with all of those holiday plug adaptors that seem to go missing every year, until of course you buy a new one and then Ta-Da as if by magic last years one appears!!!, with that last piece of the Jigsaw, which strangely seems to be a different piece each time you do the puzzle, with the previous missing bit making a miraculous return to the box (surely, if you put all of the missing pieces together it would make THE worlds largest and most difficult Jigsaw EVER, for sure!!), with “Where’s Wally” (he’s very difficult to find…trust me I know…3 children, all the books…I’m Boss eyed trying to find Wally, his mate, his sister, his dog, the Wizard, Wally’s camera, the dogs bone and so on and so on and so on….) or with Lord Lucan, Glen Miller, Shergar and Elvis Presley (hmmm that could prove to be an interesting dinner party ) on that Island where they must all be living happily ever after together……………Sadly none of the above come close to where I have been and unfortunately for you guys no where nearly as exciting either…..ive been at home and I’ve not really been lost but buried under a rather large cloud of dust…..over the last 8 weeks I have gone from existing kitchen (small, pokey and totally unworkable) to building site with RSJ’s and Strong Boys (that’s the Akrow Prob type, I’ve not had a troop of male strippers drop by for a cuppa ) to having no cooker or sink (thank goodness for my slow cooker, microwave and rather large bath tub) to now having the most amazing, brand spanking new all singing all dancing huge kitchen!!! Oh but the dust………!! If my children stood still for too long they resembled Casper the friendly (or very unfriendly depending on which side of the bed they got out of) Ghost! They too have become conversant in “builder” speak…and luckily I don’t mean bad language and wolf whistling any passing female with their bottoms hanging out of their trousers but things like “would that be a Phillips or a flat head screw driver mummy, or would you like a self tapping or pozidrive screw and Is it best not to cut the brown wire mummy (!)…they do however keep asking for “a cuppa tea, two sugars Luv” every five minutes!!!! Sorry, sorry, sorry to any builders out there, I am of course only joking But Still, the dust….brick dust, plaster dust, sawdust, you name it I’ve got it…in abundance! I don’t think there is a room untouched by the stuff…even the garden could do with whizz round with the pledge and a feather duster….! My laptop has been included in this unceremonious burial hence no SherpaLaura posts…..when I did unearth it, boy was he unhappy especially when I expected him to then catch up on 8 weeks worth of blogging……actually there is a bit of a household appliance mutiny going on in my house due to either abandonment or over work…the Dyson has got the hump, the microwave has quite simply gone on strike, the kettle is asking for a pay rise, and the radio is NOT happy with its new paint splashed makeover….ungreatful devils..they now have a fab new kitchen to work in
Well, that’s whats been happening in The LauraVerse…I feel I have suitably explained my whereabouts and I hope I am forgiven for my lack of posts. Actually its my blog, you guys that follow me and Help for Heroes that should be complaining ….I’ve been neglectful and I am very sorry! I now have a wonderful kitchen so should you all like to come for a cup of tea, my way of making it up to you, I have a sparkly new kettle that needs breaking in..the old one broke under the pressure of tea making duties for builders, electricians, plumbers, tilers, carpenters and an ex Royal Marine!!
All of this aside…I have abandoned my whole Help for Heroes Everest Base Camp Trek duties….and having not posted for 8 weeks I am now going to pledge to you wonderful kind followers and ask for you all to please, please donate to the absolutely fantastic charity that is H4H..thankyou all SO MUCH !
www.bmycharity.com/V2/sherpalaura
